The future is bright - Meet the Top 10 Under 40

BY CINDY GERLACH

(Top, left to right): Joe Howarth, Trent Hanthorn, Sanford Swanson, Kelsey Sutherlin, Morgan McKneight, Kelly Hampton, Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski. Front: Bailey Medley, Bri Madren, Steve Bush, Rachel Svetanoff, Michelle Chutka

Each year, Tippy Connect Young Professionals, along with Greater Lafayette Commerce, selects 10 outstanding members of the community under 40 years of age, celebrating their contributions and their achievements. These rising stars exemplify excellence in their careers, in leadership and in service to the community. Meet this year’s Top 10 Under 40.

Steve Bush: Director of Student Life and Leadership Development Ivy Tech Community College

Steve Bush grew up in northwest Indiana. A graduate of Purdue University with degrees in health and fitness and public health promotion, he stayed in the community to work as a health professional and a faculty member at Ivy Tech Community College. Recognizing the importance of post-secondary academics and technical training in today’s society, Bush completed his master’s degree in student affairs and higher education. He is the director of Student Life and Leadership Development at Ivy Tech.

Bush has a passion for improving the lifestyles of others through the means of co-curricular education and applied learning in various formats. As a higher ed professional of 11-plus years, he constantly strives to acquire new methods to aid him in these practices in order to better himself as a leader in student affairs and to additionally develop his own students holistically in an all-inclusive learning environment.

“Receiving this Top 10 Under 40 award from Tippy Connect is an honor. This recognition has motivated me to continue to work hard and serve the students on my campus. I truly appreciate the community’s acknowledgement of my work and am proud to serve as a good example to my daughter.”

Michelle Chutka: Director of Product Engineering Cook Biotech

Michelle Chutka received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan. In 2005, she took a job with Cook Biotech in West Lafayette, where she focuses on product development engineering.

She takes her passion for engineering into the classroom, as a continuing lecturer in the Purdue Davidson School of Chemical Engineering.

Chutka and her husband live with their four children, ages 3 to 12 years. In her free time, she enjoys competitive running in marathons and triathlons.

“It’s an honor to be among bold leadership and significant talent within our Greater Lafayette Community. Significant opportunities for growth and development of our future career professionals abound, and we each have opportunities ahead to cultivate our future leaders.”

Kelly Hampton: Director of Empowerment Services YWCA Greater Lafayette

Kelly Hampton’s story is a true tale of inspiration and hard work. A 2005 graduate of Harrison High School, Hampton dealt with mental health challenges as she struggled to find her path. After having her son in 2010, she found herself a single mother on welfare. In 2011, thanks to the support of her family, she enrolled at Ivy Tech and earned her associate’s degree in criminal justice. From there she went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Purdue and her master’s degree in special education and applied behavioral analysis.

Hampton worked for a time as a behavior therapist for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She moved over to the YWCA in 2019 as the Outreach Coordinator for the YWCA’s Domestic Violence Intervention & Prevention Program. She currently is the director of empowerment services.

Hampton is dedicated to equity and justice and to helping dismantle systems that keep people in poverty. She is part of the Community Action Panel for Economic Justice (CAPE), a group of diverse women in leadership who focus on advocating for living wage employment and empowering the population they serve, breaking down barriers to education, safe and stable environments, living wage employment, and quality, affordable health care and nutrition.

Hampton lives in Lafayette with her fiancée, Karlee; their household includes an 11-year-old boy and two dogs.

She says, “It hasn’t been an easy task to lean into the chaos of human and social services during a global pandemic or to push myself to become the type of leader that I would want to follow, but it definitely felt necessary for me to step up and step outside of my comfort zone to fight for the things and the people I care so much about. For me, this award signifies the importance of the work and advocacy I am doing in the Greater Lafayette community and has truly made me feel like I am making a difference for those I serve, which has always been the ultimate goal for me.”

Trent Hanthorn: Branch Manager Centier Bank

Born and raised in Lafayette, Hanthorn is a 2004 graduate of Lafayette Jefferson High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Purdue University in 2009. Upon graduation, he worked at a different bank in various roles. He left the bank in 2011 and went to work for a Target in assets protection. After commuting to and from Indianapolis for five years, Hanthorn realized he missed banking and being connected to Lafayette, so in 2016 he accepted a position at Centier. He started as the manager of the West Lafayette Meijer branch and moved to his current branch in June 2017. He appreciates Centier’s encouragement of community involvement; he feels he would not have been able to accomplish this honor without that support.

“I feel so honored to have received the Top 10 Under 40 Award this year. To be included with such a great group of recipients is truly humbling. It feels so good to have my contributions to the community recognized by such a wonderful organization. I look forward to continuing my service to the organizations that I currently work with as well as finding other organizations that can benefit from my help.”

Bri Madren: Financial Advisor Edward Jones

Lafayette native Bri Madren studied financial counseling and planning at Purdue University. She became a financial advisor to be a resource to people in her hometown, working with people who are friends and neighbors, not merely clients.

Madren has immersed herself in the community, working with Daybreak Rotary, Alzheimer’s Association Regional Coordinator, Greater Lafayette Commerce Ambassador and a board member of the YWCA. She lives in Lafayette with her husband, Miles, and their two children.

Morgan McKneight: Financial Advisor Edward Jones

Morgan McKneight, a financial advisor with Edward Jones, is passionate about helping her clients define and achieve their financial goals. Her business is focused on providing education and guidance for clients on the road to financial independence and security.

McKneight has worked in the financial services industry for more than six years and has been with Edward Jones since 2018. She started her business in Columbus, Ohio, before relocating to Lafayette in October 2019 to assist an advisor transitioning to retirement. She serves more than 200 households in Greater Lafayette and beyond.

Locally, McKneight is involved with Kiwanis, Association of Women Business Owners, Breakfast Optimists, 100+ Women Who Care, Purdue Women’s Club, and Tippy Connect Young Professionals.

She and her fiancé, Nick, enjoy traveling, playing board games, watching football and playing fetch with their Staffordshire Terrier, Sammi.

“I am extremely honored to have been nominated and awarded Top 10 Under 40. The fact that my clients and peers recognize and appreciate the work I am doing means the world to me. "Having only lived in Lafayette a couple of years, I have been blown away by how welcoming and intentional our community is. There is a strong emphasis on giving back and helping others, something I have always tried to do in my work and personal life. I became a financial advisor because I’ve always wanted to help people. I am driven to make an impact on my community, one family at a time. "I’m extremely grateful that Edward Jones brought me to Lafayette, and I look forward to continuing to deeply serve my clients and be a resource for anyone with questions around their financial goals. It is exciting to see the work that my fellow Top 10 Under 40 are doing and the impact they are having on our community. The future is bright!”

Bailey Medley: Human Resources Manager Caterpillar Large Power Systems Division

An Indiana native, Bailey Medley is the human resources manager for the Caterpillar Lafayette Engine Center facility. As a young professional in Tippecanoe County, she has a passion and drive to serve and mentor those in the community with a focus on building strong females. She is a Food Finders Food Bank board member, United Way of Greater Lafayette Community Investment Committee member, and Conexus of Indiana Advanced Manufacturing Council member.

Medley has been a keynote speaker and/or panelist for several groups including the Emerging Leaders Speaker Series, Purdue Movers and Makers and Conexus Industry Events. She currently resides in Lafayette with her husband, Jeff, and three daughters. She enjoys volunteering, gardening, attending Purdue sporting events and traveling.

“Being selected as a recipient of the Top 10 Under 40 Award is very humbling. I feel so honored to be selected from our strong community of leaders. I feel fortunate to have had amazing parents that raised me along with the strong mentors that assisted them in guiding me on my journey. Because of those individuals and the impact they had on my life, I feel I have been blessed with amazing opportunities and achievements for which I’ve worked hard. My role models sparked a love for volunteerism and mentoring in me that I hope to use in a meaningful way and that I try to use to give back to others. Having my efforts noticed and recognized in this manner is an unexpected surprise, and one that I am very appreciative of.”

Kelsey Sutherlin: Founder, Living Lafayette

A native of Lafayette, Kelsey Sutherlin returned to the community after a short stint in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Leadership Lafayette and worked as the program coordinator; she also is the founder of the Instagram site Living Lafayette.

Sutherlin has been involved with IU Health Philanthropy Council, Round the Fountain Art Fair, First Friday, Tippy Connect Young Professionals Steering Committee, #GreaterLafayetteIND Ambassadors and the Historic Centennial Neighborhood Association.

“Being named 2021 Top 10 Under 40 is truly an honor. I know for myself and the nine others on the list, we are just trying to make the community around us a better place for our families and everyone else! It’s encouraging to know that others see that work and appreciate what we’re doing.

“As someone who grew up in this community and moved away, I realized that there are pros and cons to living anywhere in the world. You have to decide to love where you’re at in the moment, whether it’s a long-term or short-term home. When I moved back to Greater Lafayette, I was determined to help others see why this is and could be a wonderful place to live for anyone. I really love this community and am so proud of the good people in it that are doing such amazing things to make it a wonderful place to live and work.”

Rachel Svetanoff: Interim Executive Director, InternetBar.Org Institute Co-founder, Global Futurist Initiative

Rachel Svetanoff is dedicated to championing innovation in social impact causes. Over the past 10 years, she has helped work on all 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, where she has contributed to more than 100 projects with 89 organizations across 37 countries. She is the co-founder of Global Futurist Initiative, an effort housed by InternetBar.Org Institute, working to elevate and equip youth to transform our global timeline.

While a consultant for companies and nonprofits, Svetanoff holds numerous appointments, serving as a Liechtenstein Institute for Strategic Development LEAP fellow, a One Better World Collective Liaison, and a Harvard Seminar for Leaders in China instructor. She also is a Purdue University Student Life Young Alumni Advisory Board member and a J.B. Dondolo Inc. Board member. Closer to home, Rachel is a member of Tippy Connect Young Professionals and Greater Lafayette’s Diversity Round Table.

Svetanoff is the recipient of the 2021 Purdue University Student Life Young Alumni Award, Presidential Volunteer Service Award of AmeriCorps, the 2020 J.B. Dondolo, Inc. Water Changemaker Award, and an InnoCentive Challenge winner.

“I’m humbled by the leadership and commitment Tippy Connect Young Professionals has to elevating young professionals in our community. This award serves as a reminder that the work to making the Greater Lafayette area a welcoming, safe and sustainable place for all is only beginning. To be among the other recipients who embody this vision is what makes this award a true honor. Living here for the past 10 years makes me feel as every bit of home as my hometown, and I hope to continue giving back what this community has given me.”

Sanford Swanson: Sergeant of Patrol West Lafayette Police Department

Sanford Swanson began his sworn law enforcement career in 2006. He has served in and around Greater Tippecanoe County during that tenure. Presently, he is assigned to the patrol division of the West Lafayette Police Department as a sergeant.

When not providing services to the residents of West Lafayette, among other things, Swanson can be found partnering and consulting with Tippecanoe County Youth Services regarding juvenile alternatives and traveling to other states to provide effective law enforcement training and instruction. Committed to living out a life of service, Swanson is constantly looking for ways to contribute to and improve the lives of every person he encounters.

“To me, this award means the works I have committed to are bearing fruit. Having come from a less than desirable background, I had many points of intervention which helped shape me. Those various moments of intercession would provide me with perspectives that were otherwise unavailable to me. Later in life, I realized how invaluable those perspectives would prove to be. As a result, I have chosen to pay forward this debt I never knew I owed.” ★

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